The DownLink Podcast

"Over 25 percent of the attacks targeting some of these #space sector entities were against manufacturers, suppliers, and solutions that are linked to the actual space sector." - Hector Falcon, Space and Cyber Intelligence Integrator, Space-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Space ISAC) Space Competition: Threats and Trends A Year After October 7th In the year since Hamas launched its brutal attack in Israel, tactics, techniques, and procedures, as well as technologies, and security alliances have evolved in the space domain of operations. Laura winter speaks with Namrata Goswami, an independent scholar on space policy and great power politics and co-author of the book “Scramble for the Skies: The Great Power Competition to Control the Resources of Outer Space”; and Hector Falcon, Space and Cyber Intelligence Integrator, Space-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Space-ISAC).

Problem with YouTube If you are listening to The DownLink Podcast on YouTube, the latest episode, "Space Power: A National Guardsman’s View On Why A Pentagon Plan Is A “Lose-Lose Proposal”, has not posted. After some investigation, it has become clear that since Sunday, October 20, 2024, #YouTube has been experiencing technical issues, irregardless of where a podcast feed originates. If you are a YouTube user, you can hear the latest episode of the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, and Pandora. YouTube has sent an automated email, but it does not correctly characterize the issue. It is unclear at this time whether YouTube is aware and if it is, what it is doing to rectify this problem and when that platform will be in working order. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Laura Winter Editor & Host

Space Power: A National Guardsman’s View On Why A Pentagon Plan Is A “Lose-Lose Proposal” Last week Air Force Gen. Steven Nordhaus assumed responsibility as the 30th Chief of the National Guard Bureau, inheriting a politically thorny issue: a piece of legislation that, if passed into law, would transfer Air National Guard #space units into the United States Space Force. This episode is about why some, possibly upwards of 80 percent, of the men and women who make up these units will not join the Space Force, which could leave the branch short of some critical capabilities. Laura Winter speaks with Lt. Col. Andrew Gold, Director of Strategic Plans, Colorado Air National Guard, and a space operator, who recently finished a deployment to Africa commanding the 138th Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron.

🔊 👉 The DownLink Podcast is a WINNER!!! 🌟 🥇 Best Cyber Security Submission!!! This award was was made possible by the generosity of the Sierra Nevada Corporation. Other finalists included: Gerrard Cowan - Jane’s International Defence Review Andrea Neves - Antena 1 Portugal Mark Pomerleau - DefenseScoop Lee Willet - European Security & Defence Thomas Withington – European Security & Defence The award was given for a four-part podcast series, posted in February, detailing how Russia's invasion of Ukraine kicked off with a cyber attack on U.S.-owned space systems: The United States has deftly used Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine to solidify alliances and reawaken idle supply chains, but not to advance cybersecurity policy and actions for commercial space systems, upon which the U.S. military and NATO rely to defend the nation and Europe. The Kremlin started its war in Ukraine with a simple, but masterful and far-reaching, cyberattack on a U.S.-owned space system. This four-part series looks at why that first salvo matters for today and beyond; current and future cyberattacks on space systems; and how the policy gaps weaken national security and deterrence. This four episode series started with "Space Money: When Nation States Target The Commercial Space Sector" (https://lnkd.in/es__ruj6) Thank you to: Viasat Nick Saunders, Chief Cybersecurity and Data Officer, Global Space Networks; Dan Bleier, PR and Communications Lead, Government Systems; Space ISAC Samuel Visner, Chair, Board of Directors Erin M. Miller, Executive Director Hector Falcon, Space and Cyber SME Red Balloon Security, Inc. Ang Cui, PhD, Founder, CEO & Chief Scientist Himanshu Kalra (he/him), COO And... Frank Backes, CEO, Capella Space Gregory Falco, LEED AP, Aerospace Security & Autonomy Asst. Prof, Cornell University Namrata Goswami, Independent Scholar, Professor, co-Author of "Scramble for the Skies: The Great Power Competition to Control the Resources of Outer Space" Sean S. Costigan PhD, Managing Director, Resilience Strategy, Red Sift The DownLink Podcast is a production of the Defense & Aerospace Report.

Space Tech: Talking To The Far Side of the #Moon On the Moon China’s ahead in the race to stake claims for lunar resources by the not-so-simple fact that it can communicate with its equipment on the far side, near the south pole. This week’s episode is about how ispace-U.S.’s Mission 3 could change the state of the race and establish the very communications network that will be necessary to create a lunar economy and secure it. Laura Winter speaks with Tyler Mundt, Mission Director, ispace-U.S.; Marchel Holle, U.S. Government Relations Lead, ispace-U.S.; Greg Johnson, Director of Business Development, SSC - Swedish Space Corporation; and George Pullen, Chief Economist, MilkyWayEconomy.

Space Money: Q3 Take - “Money Doesn’t Care” The Fed lending rate reduction was nice, but is it enough pressure on investors to empty their money market accounts and invest in space companies, even if it’s answering a defense-related demand signal? Laura Winter speaks with The DownLink regulars, Chris Quilty, Founder of Quilty Space; and George Pullen, Chief Economist at MilkyWayEconomy.

#Space Competition: How To Better De-Risk Adversarial #Threats To Space Systems’ Value This episode was recorded before a live audience at the Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center’s Value of Space Summit, convened in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The discussion focuses on threat trends, the lack of insurance cover for certain types of attacks; and how to better secure the value of space systems. Laura Winter speaks with Chris Kunstadter, President at Triton Space LLC; Dr. Tomás Peña, Chief Technologist for Cyber Operations at L3Harris Technologies; and Samuel Visner, the Space ISAC Chairman.

Space #Money: Starliner, A 737 Max Felony, and a New Boeing CEO With Boeing’s #Starliner human-rated capsule safely on the ground, the Crew Flight Test mission has ended, but with incidents and without its crew, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore. #Boeing, a major supplier of space vehicles and services to NASA and the U.S. Space Force, is at a crossroads with a new CEO in charge. What should Boeing do? Laura Winter speaks with Richard Aboulafia, Managing Director at AeroDynamic Advisory; Todd Harrison, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute; and Clayton Swope, Deputy Director of the Aerospace Security Project and Senior Fellow in the CSIS International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

🔊 Announcement!!! The DownLink Podcast is a 2024 Defense Media Award Finalist in four categories! The winners will be announced on October 13. First a thank you to all of The DownLink Podcast's listeners and TE Connectivity. Without you this podcast would not be possible. And thank you to all of those who, sometimes by leap of faith, participated and had a hand in helping this podcast produce the recognized work. It is an honor for this podcast's episodes, the work, to be recognized by members of the journalism profession, and to be in great company with organizations such as Breaking Defense, Aviation Week Space & Technology, Jane's International Defense Review, Shepard Media, European Security & Defence, National Defense Magazine, and the New York Times. And there are more. The Defense & Aerospace Report family of podcasts - CavasShips (Maritime, award-winning), The Air Power Podcast (Air), and our daily flagship podcast The Defense & Aerospace Report (every thing defense, award-winning) - garnered a total of seven finalist nominations. Here is the link to the Defence Media Awards site: https://lnkd.in/eTFm8FPD The DownLink Podcast is a finalist in the following categories: For the episode "Why States, National Guard Association Say “No!” To Defense Department Space Units Plan": 1. The Best Multimedia Military Submission - sponsored by McKinsey & Company 2. The Best National Security Space Submission - sponsored by Intelsat For the February 2024 series of four episodes, starting with "Space Money: When Nation States Target The Commercial Space Sector": 3. The Best Cyber Security Submission - sponsored by Sierra Nevada Corporation 4. The John Morrocco Award for Best In-depth Defence Reporting - sponsored by Boeing Links to the episodes will follow in the comments. Not just what over the horizon, but what's happening above it... And thank you for listening, Laura Winter

Space Competition: Geo-Strategic Questions Over NASA’s Plan to Destroy the ISS This is part 2 of a deep dive into NASA’s plan to destroy the 420-metric-tonne #InternationalSpaceStation by de-orbiting. This episode is about the geo-strategic consequences and risks associated with de-orbiting and alternative ideas for the space station after 2030. Part 1, “Space Technology: Holes Bubble Up In NASA’s Narrative On And Plan To De-Orbit The Space Station”, posted in July. Laura Winter speaks with Kazuto Suzuki, a member of the National Space Policy Committee of the Cabinet Office, the Government of Japan, Professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy, The University of Tokyo, and Director of the Institute of Geoeconomics (IOG) at International House of Japan; and Namrata Goswami, an independent scholar on space policy and great power politics and co-author of the book “Scramble for the Skies: The Great Power Competition to Control the Resources of Outer Space”.